Housing and Benefits Attorney, Civil Justice Practice
Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) seeks an attorney to join our Civil Justice Practice as a Housing and Benefits attorney to provide legal representation for individuals with concurrent criminal legal, family court, and immigration matters.
BDS is a public defense office representing low-income New Yorkers in criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal matters. For nearly 30 years, BDS has worked, in and out of court, to protect and uphold the rights of individuals and to change laws and systems that perpetuate injustice and inequality. Our legal expertise work with clients is focused on the intersections of these legal systems that disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities living in poverty.
BDS represents thousands of people each year who have diverse, complex, and multi-faceted legal needs. In addition to a zealous legal defense, our interdisciplinary teams of attorneys, social workers and advocates provide a wide range of legal and advocacy services, including for housing, public benefits, education, and employment. BDS staff work collaboratively and across disciplines to deliver high-quality legal services that serve the people we represent, their families and communities.
Our Civil Justice Practice cases on the Housing and Benefits team range from brief advice and plea consults for clients facing collateral consequences of arrest and conviction and includes full representation assistance in housing court and administrative hearings for clients facing eviction or termination from public housing, seeking essential repairs, or combatting landlord harassment and representation and advocacy for client who have been wrongfully denied public benefits. Often, allegations in family or criminal court are directly related to landlord-tenant issues and a holistic advocacy model can produce positive outcomes in both proceedings--for example, when neglect allegations in Family Court Article 10 proceedings are related to conditions in the home, our civil attorneys can help advocate and file repairs cases in housing court to ensure healthy homes for clients and their families. Civil attorneys also work on behalf of clients to ensure they have access to public benefits, adequate housing through the NYC shelter system and other entitlements.
CJP attorneys serve as a resource for colleagues in other practice areas and will be expected to gain familiarity with underlying cases and their intersection with civil legal issues to facilitate internal referrals, assist with intake, consult on plea agreements, Article 10 settlements for better outcomes for clients. Attorneys advocate for clients facing barriers to accessing benefits and shelter, facing eviction proceedings or in need of assistance addressing unsafe housing conditions.
Responsibilities:
- Engage in direct representation of individuals and groups in housing and benefits matters in multiple civil and administrative forums.
- Provide advice and counsel to criminal, family, and immigration defense colleagues and clients during ongoing proceedings.
- Investigate and research potential policy and litigation avenues.
- Research and write internal memoranda and train staff and outside organizations.
- Consult with clients and community members and develop Know Your Rights resources.
- Additional responsibilities as assigned.
Qualifications
- Admission to the New York bar or eligibility to become admitted.
- Prior experience providing direct legal services representation in eviction defense, public benefits advocacy or similar field.
- Interest in strategizing issues for clients who face multiple interrelated issues.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including an ability to work across practices with colleagues concurrently representing clients.
- Efficient, organized work style and an ability to prioritize quickly and manage multiple deadlines and emergencies.
- A willingness to learn multiple practice areas and a strong desire to develop a multi-disciplinary practice.
- Proficiency in a second language is a plus.
Position Information
This is a full-time, exempt, salaried position in the collective bargaining unit. The position is based at BDS’s offices in downtown Brooklyn and NYC courts and administrative forums.
BDS determines salary on a pay scale based on education and experience. For this position there is a salary range of $97,000 for recent law graduate to $184,000 for an attorney with 30 years of experience. BDS offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance and a 403(b)-retirement plan. In order to support work/life balance and family-friendly policies, BDS has generous vacation, sick, holiday, family, and medical leave policies.
Application Instructions
Click here to submit a cover letter and resume on our online application portal. Please submit your application by September 18, 2026.
Brooklyn Defender Services is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to celebrating diversity and maintaining an equitable and inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, expressions, orientations, disabilities, and experiences to apply. If you require an accommodation due to a disability or another reason, please contact the Managing Director, H.R., Christina Wallace, at cwallace@bds.org.
